Pitroipa, who has scored twice in the tournament, was sent off three minutes from the end of extra time on Wednesday for diving when, in fact, he had clearly been knocked to the ground after tangling with an opponent.

Team manager Gualbert Kabore, speaking at the team hotel, disclosed: "The Burkina Faso Football Federation wrote an official letter of appeal to CAF (competition organisers).

"We lodged it in the two hours after the match as stipulated by the regulations.